Resource Type: Case Studies

At the Lab, we believe that multiracial, cross-class (MRXC) coalition-building is essential if the climate movement is serious about tackling the climate crisis at the scale it demands. However, a historical lack of collaboration, trust, or healthy mechanisms to deal with conflict often impair these collective efforts. Our new Blueprint for a Multiracial, Cross-Class Climate Movement provides an analysis of the difficulties MRXC climate coalitions are likely to face and offers recommendations for a proposed path forward. Our intention is that these insights help advocates fighting for a livable climate and communities grounded in justice and shared prosperity.

As we previewed a couple of weeks ago, Justin and I recently attended the 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA) in Los Angeles. APSA is (at least in my opinion) the top conference in political science and draws some of the brightest scholars and most insightful research from across the discipline. It’s also usually the only occasion I have each year to get updated on emerging research, catch up with some of our social scientist members, bring in new scholars to the Lab community, and generally try to stay relevant in the field. In this feature, I’ll give you a quick recap of our time in LA and share some thoughts on how the issue of climate change has grown in prominence in the study of politics.

Severe thunderstorms hit my hometown of Durham, NC last week, bringing 80 mph winds and flash flooding across our community. Around half the county was without power for more than 24 hours– presenting serious health risks for our most vulnerable neighbors, as temperatures (and humidity levels) climbed into the mid-90s. 
96% of people in the United States have faced extreme weather risks this summer (from flooding, storms, heat, or fire) according to the new “Danger Season” tool from the Union of Concerned Scientists that tracks county-level alerts.